Drum rotary combination flush and rinse unit



5 Sheets-Sheet l July 26, 1955 R. L. KAYE l DRUM ROTARY COMBINATION FLUSH AND RINSE UNIT Filed Dec. 20, 1950 R. L. KAYE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed DeC. 20, 1950 INVENTOR Beamer Lz: Ka YE BY mm* if Hd( ATTORNEYJ July 26, 1955 Filed Dec. 20, 1950 INVENTOR 055,27- LEE KA YE BY 1M iff/Kaz? ATTORNEYS United States Patent O DRUM RQTARY CGMBINATON FLUSH AND RNSE UNIT Robert Lee Kaye, Newark, N. J. ppiication December 2b, 1950, Serial No. 201,793 Claims. (Cl. 134-95) The present invention concerns the reconditioning of metal barrels and drums by removing internal deposits of all sorts, ushing and rinsing so as to obtain a clean internal surface ready for painting or for receiving new contents without contamination.

ln the cleaning and reconditioning of drums one of the high cost operations is chaining, that is, the removal of resistant coatings or contents by revolving the drum with steel balls or a length of chain inside. In some stubborn cases sand blasting is employed. Because of the greatly increased cost of cleaning such chainers, as these especially dirty barrels are called, purchase thereof is avoided and they bring a much lower price on the market. Tests have shown that the present invention reduces the number `of drums which require chaining by as much as 50% or more.

In the cleaning of drums with prior art equipment one serious problem has been the collection of cleaning uid within the drum in such quantities as to impede and greatly reduce the eiiiciency of the cleaning action. This condition almost necessarily follows from the rate of input of uid into the barrel and the relatively small effective bung area for drainage during the cleaning operation. With the present invention a drum to be cleaned is positioned horizontally with its bung down. A rotating fan `spray nozzle extends into the drum. Optimum operating conditions have been found to be a feed of twenty gallons per minute at eighty pounds pressure. This flow causes about twoinches of liuid to collect in the bottom or bung side of the drum during cleaning. At this level sufficient pressure builds up within 'the drum to stabilize conditions by forcing a fluid flow out `of .the bungof twenty gallons per minute. 1

The fluid layer, which infprevious methods land yequipment for cleaning reached greater depths, .hasfpreviously made any spray cleaning ineffective on the lower portion of the drum.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning uid spray which will Veffectively :out through Ya =water cushion and clean at the 'bottom thereof. A

it is an object of the invention to provide *a flush and rinse unit having a caustic, or .ushing, solution compartment and a rinse water compartment separated by la .para tition with rotatable delector means toperrnit .rapid cycling of ush, or cleaning, .and rinse fluid with aminimum of dilution of the caustic solution by-the rinsewater, yand contamination of the .rinse water lby soiled spent solution.

It is an object of the invention-to provide `aiiushing :and rinsing machine for cleaning drums comprising a tank {having rotating fan shaped spray nozzles ytherein arranged tol project inside of drtuns -to be cleaned, heat-ingmea-ns:fory

a hot caustic solution, straining means for saidsol-ution, pressure Vcirculation to maintain the fan Lshaped spray, rinse water and separating means to prevent ycontamination of the solution or the Yrinse by each other.`

In the drawing like numbers refer to .like parts throughout.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of side elevation of one Vform the invention vmay take.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section along line 2 2 of Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a detail of a modified drain tray tilt mechanism.

Fig. 4 'is a detail of the control mechanism.

Fig. I5 is a detail of construction of the dump valve control 'for the manifold or header dump valve.

One form 'of flush and rinse machine comprises an elongate rectangular tank 10 preferably of metal such as `quarter inch steel plate or the like having inner bracing angle members 11 positioned about six inches below the upper elongate edge of tank 10. Angle members 11 afford a flange like surface or shelf 12 along each side of tank 10 and are braced by cross angles 13. The upper elongate edges of tank 10 may be provided with depressions 14 forming pairs of drum support circular segments having-a radius substantially the same as that of a drum to be cleaned so as to act as an effective holding means to anchor the drum while cleaning as shown in my copen'ding application now U. S. Patent No. 2,650,601 filed for Five and Ten Drum Flush Unit December 14, 1950. Depressions 14 are shallow so that it is possible to roll .drums in and out of them by hand. Where heavier drums are to be cleaned it may be well to make the segmental radius larger so that the drums can be rolled out more easily.

Cross angles 13 are preferably located at each pair of depressions 14 and provide support for bearings 15 in which is jour-naled elongate drive shaft 1'6 extending the length of tank 10 and out one end thereof to a gear reducer 17 and drive motor 18 mounted on a shelf or platform 19 on the outside of an end wall of tank 10. Shaft 16 has a worm 20 keyed thereto adjacent each bearing 15. In the upper part of tank 10 and paralleling shaft 16 is mounted a cleaning .fluid supply header 21 capable ofwithstanding -a hot caustic cleaning fluid at an operating pressure tof 'over eighty pounds per square inch. Header 21 projects through an end wall of tank 10 and is arranged to be coupled with a caustic fluid supply and a circulating pump.

Upright .feed pipes 23 are connected Vto header 21 opposite the lnadir of the depressions 14. A rotating head portion 24 is mounted on each feed pipe 23 by means of a bearing assembly having a packing gland or the like. A pinion 25 is keyed to rotating head portion 24 and mates with worm 20. Head portion 24 is provided with a :nozzle 26 producing a fan shaped spray.

Nozzle 26 'may be constructed by closing one end of a pipe kelbow and saw cutting a slot 27 closely adjacent the closed en'd as shown vin Figure 3 of my U. S. Patent No. 2,650,601. The closing disk is held by one or more connections, which obstruct fluid flow. Where two such connections are employed they should not both be on the vertical or on the horizontal axis but should be displaced from the axes. In this way dead spots of fan action are avoided as all interior parts of the drum receive sprayed cleaning solution directly at least once every revolution of nozzle 26.

Heating coils 31 for steam or the like are provided at each side of'tan'k 10. A drain 3?. is located at the bottom of tank 10 and is closed by removable overiiow pipe 53 having a bail or handle 34. A removable cover composed of number four grating 35 lies loosely on shelf surfaces 12 of angle members 11 and covers the top of tank 10. fGrating 3S is provided with a series of apertures through which rotating head portions 24 proiect. The grating 35 permits cleaning fluid to iow back into tank 10 from the drums being cleaned while retaining larger segments of 'material cleaned out of the drums. Gra-ting 3'5 is well below the lowest point of the depressions V14 and nozzles 26 project well above the edge of 3 tank 111 so as to enter a drum and be completely enclosed thereby.

Tank is provided with a central longitudinal partition wall 42. A longitudinal drain trough has vertical walls 44 which divide grazing 35 into two side portions 4S and a central portion 46. Drain trough 43 has a central longitudinal opening 47 between the spaced ends of downwardly sloping bottom walls 4S and vertical llangings 49 therefor. Manifold header 21 is positional in opening 47 midway between flanges 49 and journals support rings 50 which carry drain deflector plate 51 just above the top edge of partition 42 and which plate also extends along the length of the tank. Deector 51 swings through an angle of ninety degrees about manifold header 21. ln each extreme position it contacts both the surface of sloping bottom wall 48 at 7G and the bottom edge of ange 49 at 71 on the side corresponding to the direction of tilt, forming a double seal at 7f3 and 71 as shown in Fig. 2. The other side of drain deector 51 bears against and extends well beyond and below the top edge of partition 42 with which it forms a third seal 72 to assure minimum dilution of caustic flush solution 52 and minimum contamination of rinse solution 53. Support ring 5G may be rotated by a suitable lever and actuating cylinder as shown at 57, 60, 61 and S3.

Fig. 3 shows a somewhat modified form of mounting for drain defiector 51. A pivot mounting 54 may be provided on the upper edge of partition 42. A lever arm 55 is attached to deilector and biased by spring 56 anchored to a wall of tank 1d. link 57 is pivoted to arm 55 and to a second lever 53 which is pivoted to stationary member 59. Air cylinder 6) is mounted on the side of a wall of tank 10 and has its piston 61 pivotally connected to lever 58. Actuation of cylinder forces piston. 61 and lever S5 to the left, tilting drain deflector 51 clockwise to one extreme position. On the release of air pressure from cylinder 6i? spring 56 rotates deflector 51 to the original eXtreme position.

Manifold dump or drain valve plunger 4i) is controlled by arm 41 as shown in Fig. 5 wherein air cylinder 62 has a piston rod 63 which is slidably mounted in stop block 64. Piston rod d3 carries a roller 65 which bears against curved portion 66 of arm 41 which is pivoted at 63 on the side of a wall of tank 1t). Piston rod 63 carries a stop collar 67 which bears against stop block 64.

Rod 63 can be provided with a suitable external lever to operate plunger 4t) if desired.

Fig. 4 shows an adjustable control for repeating a spray cycle from one to ten times. Best results are obtained by pumping for twenty seconds and stopping the flow for ten seconds so the drums can drain. A variable dial setting permits adjustment of the pumping and drain cycle from zero to fifty-tive seconds.

Four removable screens 37 are mounted at an angle of forty-live degrees in the end of tank 111 adjacent intake 33 of a twin type circulating pump which supplies the header 21 with a desired rate of flow at a selected pressure. Screens 37 are tilted to provide a screening area of about twelve square feet to prevent rapid clogging.

The partition wall 42 divides tank 11B into two similar longitudinal portions each having steam heating coils 31 along the inside of the tank wall, and each portion is provided with a drain 32, an outlet 38 connected to twin pumps on a dual pump each driven by its motor as shown in my copending applications referred to herein. Removable overflow and drain pipes 33 permit quick draining and cleaning. ln this way the caustic solution 52 and the rinse water 53 are kept quite separate and are heated hot enough to be effective.

The construction and connections of the rnotor drive for shaft 16 are the same as shown in my United States Patent No. 2,650,601 for Five and Ten Drum Flush and Rinse Unit tiled December 14, 1950. The motor and pump arrangement for circulating solution may also be as shown in the above application, but duplicated for each compartment containing solutions 52 and 53 and connected to header 21 by a suitable dual position header valve.

Fig. 4 shows one arrangement which may be used to control the present invention. A housing 1119 mounts a motor 101 having a drive sheave 102 which drives V- belt 103 and pulley 1114 of step-cone pulleys 165, permitting four speed settings for driving gear reducer 106. Gear reducer shaft 1117 carries angularly adjustable cams 10S, 109, 110 and 111 which operate valves 112, 113,

` 114 and 11S in air lines 116, 117, 113, and 119, each fai.

respectively. An air stabilizer manifold mounts regulator valves 121, 122, 123 and 124, connected to gauges 123, 129, 131i and 131 for regulating the air pressure in lines 116, 117, 113 and 119, each respectively. Manifold 1241 is supplied with air pressure inlet line 125 having an air line lter 126 and air line lubricator 127 connected thereto. Regulator valves 121, 122, 123 and 124 are adjusted to selected pressures as registered by gauges 125, 129, 1311 and 131, respectively, and locked by rgulator lock unit 132.

Air line 116 is connected to a servo-motor on air cylinder 6i) for tilting deflector plate 51. Air line 117 is connected to air cylinder 62 for operating dump valve 4t?. Air line 118 controlled by cam 1111 is connected to one side of a double acting cylinder, not shown, actuating a dual position header supply valve, not shown, which connects header 21 to either the caustic solution supply 52 or rinse water supply 53 said header 21 being supplied by the dual circulating pump. Air line 119 is connected to the other side of the double acting cylinder' as shown in my copending application S. N. 290,385 for Chime Reseaier filed December 15, 1950. The dual position header valve has a switch which closes the electrical circuit to one of the pump motors and opens the electrical circuit to the other pump motor when the header valve is in one position or the other. Operation of header dump valve cylinder 62 breaks the electrical circuit to both circulating pump motors. Cam 116 also controls a switch in the circuit of the caustic solution pump which closes the pump circuit for twenty seconds and then opens the pump circuit for ten seconds for a drain period. This sequence is repeated four times as cam 110 rotates once.

The cycle control unit of Fig. 4 is used to control the operation of the cleaning machine as follows:

When drums are in position over all nozzles 26 shaft 16 is rotated by its motor which is placed across the electrical supply line. Motor 101 rotates shaft 107. Deecting plate 51 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 and header dump valve 40 is closed. As shaft 107 turns cam 110 admits air to pipe 118 which operates the header supply valve and connects the hot caustic pump to header 21. The header supply valve switch, not shown, closes the hot caustic pump motor circuit and hot caustic solution is pumped through nozzles 26. After twenty seconds cam 110 breaks the caustic pump motor circuit but the caustic supply connection is not broken and fluid drains from the drums for ten seconds. Cam 110 then closes the pump motor circuit and this sequence is repeated three more times. After the fourth spray period cam 110 closes valve 114 therefore stops air supply to pipe 118, which results in a shift of the header supply valve and opens the caustic pump motor circuit.

Cam 109 thereafter opens valve 113 and admits air to line 117 operating air cylinder 62, rod 63 and lever 41, opening header dump valve 40 for forty-five seconds. All caustic solution drains and is directed by deection plate 51 into caustic reservoir 52. The seal between deflection plate 51 and partition 42 and the double seal between deection plate 51, depending ange 49 and sloping side 48 prevents caustic solution from running into rinse water 53 and thereby prevents contamination of rinse water 53.

5 Cam 109 then closes valve 113 and valve 40 is closed by spring action after this forty-live second drain period.

Cam 108 then Opens valve 112, admitting air to line 116 and actuating cylinder 60 which, through linkage 61, S8, 57 and 55, tilts deflection plate 51 toward the rinse water 53 and seals ofI caustic solution 52.

Cam 111 then opens valve 115 admitting air to pipe 119 which air actuates the header supply valve cylinder which operates the header supply valve to a condition connecting the rinse water pump to header 21 and closes the motor circuit to said pump. After thirty seconds of spraying hot rinse water cam 111 closes valve 115 and cam 109 opens valve 113 which allows air to move through pipe 117 to operate air cylinder 62, which shuts off air supply to pipe 119 and also opens the circuit to supply pump motor, which opens the dump valve 40. All the rinse water then drains back to reservoir 53. All motors are stopped and the clean drums removed.

Drums to be cleaned are rolled onto the upper edges of the walls of tank 10 until they rest in depressions 14 with their bungs down and head portion 24 with nozzle 26 extending into the drum. In practice the invention is normally constructed so that nozzle 26 is nearer the bottom of the horizontal drum than the top both because the fan spray must cut through the two inch layer of fluid and material inside the drum and the shorter head portion 24 is made the easier and more quickly the nozzle can beinserted through the bung and removed therefrom. Again the shorter head portion 24 is made the less likely will it be damaged and bent out of line.

Where a flush and rinse unit is designed for a drum of a given diameter then the height of nozzle 26 above the edge of the walls of tank 10 is such that the drum may be pivoted at the edge of depression 14 and the nozzle 26 enters the drum without lifting. This construction makes removal after cleaning even more simple as the drum is already positioned. The height of nozzle 26 above the edge of tank 10 is preferably of the order of one-third the radius of a drum to be cleaned. Nozzle 26 extends above the bottom of depression 14 about two-thirds the radius of a drum.

With the drums in position and all the nozzles 26 covered thereby hot caustic cleaning iluid is, as above described, turned into header 21 under a pressure of about eighty pounds per square inch. The cleaning fluid ows f into feed pipes 23, through the connection between the portions 22 and 24, through head portion 24 and out the slots of nozzle 26. The iuid when discharged under such pressure forms a thin fan shaped cutting stream which is sheet like in appearance. In the usual case this stream covers about 250 degrees of arc, the closing disk being held in place by a single integral metal connecting link located to one side of the vertical axis as disclosed at Figure 3 of my U. S. Patent No. 2,650,601. This construction is inexpensive and the fan shaped stream may be adjusted by tapping the disk with a hammer or prying the slot 27 open with a screw driver or heavier tool. A flow of about twenty gallons per minute has been selected as optimum for the general purpose machine.

Drive motor 18 is energized and gear reducer 17 rotates shaft 16 in bearings 15. Worm 20 turns pinions 25 causing nozzles 26 to revolve at ten or fifteen revolutions per minute all as shown in detail in Figure 5 of my U. S. Patent No. 2,650,601. Slower or faster rates of rotation may be employed depending upon the character of the coating within the drums to be cleaned.

The rotating fan of hot caustic solution has both a knife action and a solvent action and soon removes most coatings. When stable fluid flow conditions are established within a drum being cleaned about two inches of iluid is present in the bottom, but the fan cuts through this as well and cleans most effectively. It will be noted that the nozzle 26 is closer to the bottom than the top of the drum and therefore initially has a strong cleaning action before the fluid layer accumulates.

During cleaning fluid runs out of the bungs of the drums, 'through Vthe openings in grating 35 and into the interior of tank l10 where it is kept hot by coils 31. Hot caustic fluid which ows out overilow pipe 33, is strained and rinsed.

After va run of about one thousand drums it is vusually desirable to lift overflow pipe 33 out of tank 10 by handle 34. All solid 'matter is washed, with the spent cleaning liuid, down drain 32 and new caustic solution supplied for the succeeding run. A tive drum unit requires three hundred gallons of caustic flush solution 52 and the same amount of rinse water 53.

1n the machine shown as Vactually built the operations are automatic with a normal time cycle of about three minutes. Caustic Vflush solution 52 is, as above described, pumped for twenty seconds to clean a set of barrels followed by a drain period of ten seconds to permit fluid to run out of the drums instead of building up in the bottom and interfering with the cutting action of the fan spray. These actions are repeated four times after which manifold dump valve 40 is actuated by servo-'motor 62 as shown in Fig. `5 for forty tive seconds to permit manifold or header 21 to drain back into the caustic solution side of the task. Tray 51 during this part of the cycle has been in the position shown in Fig. 2, draining caustic solution 52 into the left side of tank 10. Tray 51 is then tilted to the right to drain into rinse water 53 by Vthe action of servo-motor 60 shown in Fig. 3. Hot rinse water 53 is pumped for thirty seconds, the manifold dump valve 40 is opened lfor forty iive seconds to drain back into the rinse water side of the tank after which tray S1 is tilted back to the left and the machine is ready to start a new cycle of operation. The control cycle is adjustable.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in 'the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, intended in the appended claims to cover in generic terms all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I :claim:

l. A drum cleaning device comprising an elongate tank, a fluid supply pressure header running longitudinally of said tank, a plurality of feed lines connected with said header, a plurality of rotatable nozzle means connected to said feed lines, drive means connected to each of said nozzle means to rotate said nozzle means at a controlled rate, a partition dividing said tank into longitudinal compartments, and drain means constructed to have separable double seals with a central spacing portion separating said seals to direct spent cleaning uid into a desired compartment for reuse.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, said nozzle means having a curved orifice constructed to provide a fan shaped rotating spray of cleaning fluid at high velocity.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, said drain means comprising a deflecting plate and a trough having a longitudinal opening therein, depending ange portions along the longitudinal edges of said opening in said trough, said ilange portions being of such length that they contact said deflecting plate when said plate is moved to one side in fluid deflecting position in contact with the under surface of the underside of said trough to form said double seal.

4. The combination set forth in claim l, said seals being substantially line contacts between surfaces and extending the length of the effective portion of said drain means.

5. A drum cleaning device comprising an elongate tank, a fluid supply pressure header running longitudinally of said tank, a plurality of feed lines connected with said header, a plurality of spaced nozzle means conananas nected to said feed lines, a partition dividing said tank into longitudinal compartments, and drain means constructed to provide separable double seals with a central spacing portion separating said seals to direct spent cleaning iluid into a desired compartment for reuse, said drain means comprising a central chamber having a drain opening therein and a drain plate mounted to make contact with a wall of said central chamber and said partition to form said separable double seals with a central spacing portion therebetween.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, said central chamber having sloping walls with depending flange members along the lower longitudinal edges thereof at an angle to said sloping walls, said movable plate being ilat and movable into engagement with one of said sloping walls, one of said depending ange members and said partition member to form three independent spaced substantially line-of-contact seals with intermediate portions of said movable plate extending therebetween, said intermediate portions of said plate being free from contact with said one of said sloping walls, said one of said depending flanges and said partition.

7. A drum cleaning device comprising means to supply cleaning duid, a plurality of upstanding nozzle means mounted for rotation, iiuid supply means connected to said plurality of upstanding nozzle means, each said nozzle means having a narrow slot therein for producing a fan shaped knife-like ow of cleaning fluid at high velocity projecting upwardly and outwardly so as to exert a cutting action on foreign material on the inside of a drum being cleaned, an elongate tank having means to receive a plurality of drums in side-by-side relation, each said nozzle means being mounted upon said tank and projecting upwardly therefrom so as to enter the bung of a drum so that said knife-like low can act directly upon said foreign material within a drum being cleaned, drive means mounted on said tank and being connected to said nozzle means to rotate said nozzle means and the fan shaped knife-like ow, said supply means comprising a header mounted on said tank and extending longitudinally thereof, connection means for connecting said nozzle means to said header, means alternately to pump cleaning solution and rinse lluid through said header and said nozzle means, valve means to drain said header, cyclic control timing means for controlling sequentially said means alternately to pump and said header drain means whereby said cleaning and rinsing lluids are maintained substantially separate, a central partition mounted in said tank and extending longitudinally thereof substantially under said header, a drain trough positioned on the upper part of said tank to receive uid from drums being cleaned, said trough having a central longitudinal opening below said header, and a movable delecting plate mounted above said partition on said header and arranged to swing into separable line contact on one side or the other of said trough and said partition to direct fluid to one side or the other of said partition.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7, operating icans connected to actuate said dellecting plate to direct cleaning Huid to one side of said partition and rinsing iluid to the other side alternately in timed sequence with relation to the operation of said means to pump iluid.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8, depending edge portions of said trough opening extending downwardly to form a seal with the upper face of said deliecting plate in either of its two extreme positions.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9, said depending edge portions being so positioned with respect to the side walls of said trough that the detlecting plate contacts both one of said edge portions and one of said walls to form a spaced double seal.

References (Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,683 Cochrane Jan. 16, 1894 703,089 Schock June 24, 1902 749,583 Schmidt Jan. 12, 1904 1,026,729 Zunner May 21, 1912 1,670,611 Couch May 22, 1928 2,196,198 Drechsler Apr. 9, 1940 FOREEGN PATENTS 307,170 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1929 384,056 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1932 

